Saturday, January 19, 2019

Road to KonMari, 2016 - 2019

It was late 2016 when I started feeling overwhelmed with the number of material things that I had. The first real memory of that feeling though was back in 2013 when we first moved from a big house to a small one. Moving houses, I realized that I had 16 boxes of stuff.


SIXTEEN BOXES. This did not include my clothes, bags, and shoes. These were literally just stuff that I owned.



They no longer sparked joy.


2016 I started posting photos of items that I have and a few friends started "shopping" my stash. However, I still had too much stuff and because I cover events, I just kept getting more and more items.

2017 I had to go and buy 12 of the megabox storage boxes. TWELVE. I already had 8 and I added 12 more which made it 20 boxes. TWENTY.


It was insane.

2018 I finally started purging for real. I let go slowly but surely of items that I no longer wanted, needed, or even used. I also started having more space in my office and I was even able to move out 6 megaboxes out of my office and into the garage.

Now that it is 2019, I can finally say that I have gotten rid of 60% of the items that I don't need, want, or plan to use ever. This means, accessories, books, miscellaneous items, bags, make up and shoes.

2018

2018 desk

2019

As you can see, I now have a less cluttered table. I even took off the photos and decors that were on my wall because I started to not notice them and felt like it was just a bunch of clutter.

I also made a space for my candles and pens as well as a spot for my tumblers. On the leftmost side, M recommended putting the two megabox drawers on top of each other to save space which was genius. I don't know why I never thought of it but I'm glad M did. It literally opened up space in my room.

2018

2019
Here you can see my accessories cabinet as well as my two dividers and the black one in the middle is actually my pen drawer. I'm not sure if you can see but I'm not able to close the accessories cabinet coz it's overflowing with items inside. I actually have over 300 accessories which is ironic because I almost always never wear any accessories.

For the dividers, I've thrown away things that I do not need that were stored there so everything that you see are items that I actually want to keep.

As for the pen drawers, I've done 4 rows and I'll be going through the rest this weekend. Thankfully, most of the pens in the first 4 rows were working and I had to throw less than 20.


I also compiled all of the USBs that I had in a box. Before it was scattered all over the place and now, it's in one box so it's easy to find.


I also placed all of my hard drive in one box along with the cords. This way, there is more order to my things.


I've also placed all of my oils in one drawer, my streaming materials in one box and all of my recognition and certificates in one pile.

The printer is nownow loca inside the black divider because I was able to get rid of all the stuff that was placed there before.This saves me A LOT of desk space to make space for other things that I wanted to see so that I can use it.

2018
2019
I had 385 lippies back in 2018 and now, I only have 70pcs left. YASSSS! I was finally able to declutter and give away more than half of my lipstick collection. *pats self on the back*

2018

2019

As you can see, the room is more spacious now than ever. There used to be a ton of small storage boxes piled on top of one another and just too many clutter.

2018 vs 2019

As you can see in the 2018 version, I had everything. I did not let go of anything at all regardless of the fact that I have not used a lot of it for more than 5 years.


This year, I finally purged this cabinet and left the ones that are in great shape as well as the ones that I will definitely wear.

2018

2019
I also purged a lot of my makeup. Everything that I didn't want to use but thought I should still keep, all the shades that just didn't work for me no matter how expensive, and everything in between. I managed to cut it down to 5 small containers as opposed to having 4 huge drawers before of make up.

The other miscellaneous items I got rid of are the happy meal toys I used to collect. I had 4 boxes of these and the other 3 has been given away to charity.


This blue Orocan drawer with 4 layers is now gone from my home office. It has now been repurposed to house miscellaneous items in our home and is sitting prettily in the garage. 


These craft material has also been donated to public schools and what's left are the actual scrapbooks that I made.

Lastly, the shoe purging is officially done on my end. I threw away over 20+ pairs of shoes, some of them never been worn because they just did not serve a purpose. One was an imitation that was gifted to me, the other was too uncomfortable on the feet, and the rest were just no longer sparking joy in me at all.


I've also gotten rid of a lot of bags. Now, the final stage has come for me. I need to sort my clothes as well as my notebooks and pens. This is going to be the hardest for me since I really love my notebooks and pens. As for my clothes, I still have 3 megaboxes to sort so that's what I'll be doing for the next few weeks.

The road to becoming a bit more minimalist in my items has not been easy. It has been challenging but seeing that there is more breathing room at home and being left with items that I can now display so I can use has been truly wonderful. It's a great feeling to have that everyone should aim for.

When everything that you own makes you happy, it's a little hard to be sad and unproductive.

How about you? Have you been bitten by the KonMari bug?

If you need a guide, feel free to DOWNLOAD MY PDF guide.

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Thursday, January 17, 2019

4 Ways to Show Appreciation

With so many people feeling entitled nowadays, appreciation has become almost obsolete. People just think that they deserve this and that, that they should be given this and that, that the concept of gratitude and appreciation has become a thing of the past.

NOT IN MY HOUSE.


I teach my son that value of "PLEASE' and "THANK YOU" all the time. I strongly believe that these two things are the most basic way to show people you appreciate what they do for you. When you say please, you are showing that you are not taking it for granted that they will do something for you. When you say thank you, you are showing that you are grateful for what they did for you.

There are also other ways of showing appreciation for people. My recommendations are:

1.  Make time.

Time is the one thing that we can truly give to people. Spend an afternoon, have dinner, go for coffee, or simply sit down and listen to them.

2. Hugs.

Hugging is actually very therapeutic. When you want someone you appreciate having them in your life but you are not really good in using word, a simple hug works wonder.

3. Write them a note.

This is inexpensive and heartfelt. There is also nothing more sincere than a written note that is written from the heart.

4.  Frame that moment.

In this day and age where everything is digital, take the time to print a photo that has an awesome background and memory then give it to someone special. Having a framed, printed photo can always evoke a smile on someone's face.

Whatever your style is, whatever your way is of showing gratitude, what matters in life is that we always remember to appreciate what we have in life and who we have in life.

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Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Family Vacation in Cebu City

Sometimes, you just need to step back and let fate take you where it wants to.


The first week of January was spent back in my hometown of Cebu City. This was a family trip so there were a few moments of madness but more happiness than anything else. What made it even more interesting was the fact that M actually went with us.


Day 1 was spent with family and some relatives. It was pure madness when we had lunch for 35 people. This is only 1/3 of our family. Prior to that though, we paid our respects to our Mama Becca and Papa Pino.


This was a prayer that  is done for those who have already passed on. Later on, we had dinner at Larsian which is a must visit place if you are in Cebu City. Must orders: Soriso, Puso (hanging rice), and lato.


 


These are three staples that I need to have whenever I go to Cebu. If I remember correctly, these three wouldn't even cost you Php100. A stick of soriso is less than Php30, puso is less than Php20 and the lato, definitely less than Php50.


2nd to the 4th day of our Cebu vacation was spent at Camotes Island where we were able to swim in a cave, go cliff diving, and have a massage at a resort. It was relaxing and definitely a lot of fun.






On our last day, it was at Mactan Shangri La where my son obviously had fun playing in the sand.


Overall, the 6 days break from work and everything related to blogging was a very much needed break. It also served as a test for my no buy year because I did not buy anything that I really did not need during this trip. It was a good start and so it was also when I made the decision to give this no buy year a chance because at the end of the day, it's a win-win situation for me.

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Friday, January 11, 2019

Smart Amazing 25 lets you win 25M PESOS


For our first event for the year 2019, we learned all we needed to know about SMART's amazing 25 promo. Personally, I've been a SMART subscriber since I was 18. Until now, I still believe that SMART has the strongest connection amongst all telecommunications because during earthquakes and typhoon, it remains alive, allowing people to call and check up on each other.

This time around, SMART wants to reward some of it's subscribers with phones and other things but for one lucky person, the reward comes in the form of 25M PESOS TAX FREE!

It’s time to push your luck this 2019 and take a shot at winning P25 million cash and other exciting prizes with ‘Smart Amazing 25’ raffle promo!

Its biggest raffle promo ever, ‘Smart Amazing 25’ is part of the 25th anniversary celebration of Smart Communications, the mobile arm of leading and trusted digital services provider PLDT.

“‘Smart Amazing 25’ raffle promo is our way of rewarding our customers all over the country, who continue to inspire us in our mission to deliver services and solutions that help improve their lives and give them amazing experiences,” said Andrew L. Santos, PLDT-Smart FVP and Consumer Marketing Head.

“What better way to celebrate this milestone anniversary than with a P25 million cash grand prize - our biggest raffle prize ever that will surely change the life of one lucky subscriber! In addition to the grand prize, we’ve also lined up other exciting raffle prizes and instant bonuses for the rest of our customers.”




Aside from the P25 million cash grand prize, up for grabs are brand new smartphones, MVP Rewards points, and free data to enjoy your favorite apps, videos, games, and music.

Register your Smart, Sun, or TNT account to join the raffle

To join, Smart, TNT, and Sun subscribers must first complete the one-time registration: Simply dial *121#, choose AMAZING 25 on the menu, and follow the steps to confirm your sign-up. Once registered, you can start earning and accumulating raffle entries for a shot at winning amazing prizes.

All prepaid subscribers can earn raffle entries with every registration to select prepaid promos via retailers or text registration. As bonus, subscribers using *121# to register to prepaid promos can earn more entries.

The select prepaid promos include Giga Surf, Giga Surf Plus, All Out Surf, and Game Time for Smart; Surf Saya, Gaan Surf, Panalo Combo, Panalo Data, Giga Surf and All Out Surf for TNT; and Sulit Surf Plus, Big Time Data, Non-Stop Surf, Giga Surf and All Out Surf for Sun.

Team SMART
On the other hand, all postpaid customers with active accounts that do not have outstanding balances can earn raffle entries by paying their bills in full and on time. Every Php1,000 worth of payment is equivalent to 100 entries. Postpaid customers who purchase select add-ons such as Giga Surf offers for Smart; and the Social Bundle 199, Chat Bundle 249, and Non-Stop 450 for Sun can also earn additional raffle entries.

 All raffle entries accumulated within the promo period are qualified for the grand draw of 25 million cash prize in February. On the other hand, earned raffle entries for winning the monthly draws for brand new smartphones, MVP Rewards points, and mobile data will reset every month.

To know more about Smart Amazing 25 raffle promo, visit www.smart.com.ph/amazing25 and follow Smart's official accounts on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications ), Twitter and Instagram (@livesmart).


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3 Ways to maintain your decluttered Life

YES! You finally de-cluttered and got rid of so many of your things. It feels good and you feel at peace with the world. You finally start to feel like there is hope and lightness all around you.

TWO WEEKS LATER .... 

You find yourself swamped once more with clutter and everything is in chaos.

WHAT NOW? 


Here are a few steps that you can follow to avoid falling back into clutter and living a disorganized life. I hope that this will work for you and help you out as much as it had for me. Now this doesn't mean that your life will be perfect and clutter free if you follow these but it will definitely help you stay on track and live a more organized and clutter free life.

1. Set a schedule

Every 3 months, set aside a day to take an inventory of what you have and what you need to throw away, donate, or keep. 3 months is long enough to accumulate things but short enough so that the task will not feel overwhelming.

2. Cut your area into sections

This means that every corner of your house should serve a purpose. In the kitchen, there should be an area for tools, pots, pans, plastic ware, and so on and so forth. When things have a certain spot that they belong to, it's easier to remember where something needs to be and it's easier to return things to where they should be.

3.  Label things

If you don't have your stuff displayed in a manner where you can easily see everything, it's best that you label your storage space. One, it will be easier to see where everything is and two, it helps you to keep track of what item is in what container.

After all, it can be frustrating to have to search and search for something that you know is there, you just don't know where you placed it.

If you are placing multiple items in a certain cabinet, it's best to list down what's inside and then tape that list on the side of the closet. 

These are all pretty easy to follow but the follow through will be the most challenging. Laziness can get to you and the manana habit will surely strike. Don't beat yourself up. Simply try to get back on track and make sure that you remember, as best as you can, to do what you can to declutter your life.

PS. Throwing away things you don't need soon as you get them (boxes, receipts, wrappers, et al) is also an awesome way of making sure your clutter stays minimal.

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Thursday, January 10, 2019

ASUS M2 Pro Review from a Photographer's Perspective

This review was done by Mark Balmores, photojournalist of Manila Bulletin who also happens to be my better half.

The Asus Max Pro M2 ensures great in-hand feel due to its arched back that highly contributes to its comfort when taking photos. As far as the overall build quality is concerned, there was no bending or squeaking feel when you press on the shutter button when taking snapshots.  The display quality is admirable.



The camera captures detailed colors in decent lighting and also has improved in faster focusing that helps when taking shots of moving subjects. As a photographer, sometimes you see yourself stuck in a situation when there is not enough light to make a quality shot. I can say that The Asus Zenfone Max Pro M2’s performance in lowlight shooting is acceptable. Not the best quality in low-light situation but acceptable enough.




In my line of work, I shoot a lot of photos. I always see to it that the equipment I use can outlast my endurance when taking photos. The Asus Zenfone Max Pro 2 can do just that as it boasts a 5000 mAh battery that can competently last for a day or a day and a half even if you take photos all day. Going empty on your battery is also not a problem as the phone supports fast charging. I tried charging the unit at 25% and it was completely charged after less than an hour.




Overall, I can say that I can recommend the Asus Zenfone Max Pro 2 for those shutterbugs that love to take photos. An affordable phone with a quality camera that can decently capture those precious moments.



If a professional photographer recommends the ASUS M2 PRO, then who else can question the validity of the M2 Pro's claim when it comes to long lasting battery with quality camera and storage?

I'd say, no one can.

* all photos taken by Mark Balmores using the ASUS M2 PRO.

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